#25, no, but then it's not as if any hardware enthusiast in their right mind would trip into Best Buy for most of their computer needs as it is. All you really need to know is how to put tube A in socket B and so on.. the amount of skill involved in setting up a completely custom cooling system still isn't all that high. I'm not saying that anyone who can use a keyboard can do it, just that it's easy enough that being among the world's best overclockers probably doesn't require all that much skill. Kind of like being among the world's best soda can stove makers.

Like I said: no real objection to this kind of thing at all, and no offense meant to the people who took part in this, but overclocking just doesn't seem like something you could really have a competition with.Reply

but these guys have to develop, build and test their own cooling system- i mean its not as if you can trip into best buy and walk out with the necessary freezer accessories preassembled in a rack like mr OPP has there.Reply

#21: Sorry, but I thought that cooling system would also go under "parts choice" (as in, choosing what parts of the system to buy; cooling is a vital part, no?).. my fault for not being clear enough.Reply

Someone should write a book on overclocking which would be available in the local library, and O/C should be taught in computer classes. I'm dead serious, nothing, but nothing teaches you how these things work any better.Reply

I mean no offense to anyone who took part in this, but I AM curious: how, exactly, do you have an overclocking competition? Overclocking success is really just luck and part choice... there isn't a whole lot of skill or knowledge involved. Once you get above a certain level, you're about as good as you can be.

I guess it's more of an excuse to display new products and have some fun than anything else... no harm in that, certainly. I will say that the last paragraph of the article made me laugh, though. Really, come on.

"But just watching these extreme overclockers work gave all of us attending a lot of insight into ways to push our own systems a little further. Most of our readers are more like stock car drivers, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t learn something from those who push the envelope to the very edge. ".....
yeah, write this and dont bother to share some tips with us.... its not like we dont want to know

personally i think getting a kickass core from amd/intel will be the decisive factor; its not like you can give your rig more love to make it go faster :PReply

#9
Well as far as the competition goes, nobody won. We weren’t having much luck that day. Although, I did let the ATI Tech John Bruno play with my rig for a while and he actually came up with the highest score of the day. :-)
And yes this is the real OPP.Reply

Have we just been blessed with a visit from an Extememe Overclocking legend? If you are the real OPPAINTER my hats off to you. I have followed your extreme over clocking achievements over at futuremark for some time now and I must say they are nothing short of amazing. Maybe you should consider being a guest contributer to Anandtech. So who actually won the competition anyway?Reply

#3 - . . . and I just thought it was a blatant ad for ATI, since everyone is wearing ATI shirts and there isn't even a picture of the OCZ booth. :-) OCZ was an event sponsor, like ATI, Abit, AMD, and others, which were also mentioned prominently.Reply

http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/shows/2005/tex..."OPPainter spent a good deal of time on camera explaining extreme overclocking. Here, he is talking about his current records at FutureMark to an audience who are astounded by the performance numbers that they are hearing and seeing for themselves at the overclocking competition."